UFC president: Evans' Penn State comment 'stupid,' but not sure on official action

TORONTO – It’s unfortunate when otherwise intelligent people say really stupid things. But to get out the pitchfork and punish, that’s another matter.

So said UFC president Dana White today when asked by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) for a reaction on the comments made by former light-heavyweight champ Rashad Evans, who’s off-color comments on the recent Penn State scandal ended a pre-event press conference promoting UFC on FOX 2 on a bad note.

“It’s not like I’m dealing with stupid people here,” White said. “It’s one thing when you’re dealing with dummies. When you’re dealing with people who are really stupid, it’s tough to talk to them. But when you call a guy that’s an intelligent guy – and he gets it – he knows.”

White hinted that he had spoken to Evans about the comment, which came in the heat of the moment when he and Phil Davis were talking smack about their headlining fight at the Jan. 28 UFC on FOX 2 event at Chicago’s United Center.

“I guarantee you’ll be the first one to take a shot,” Evans said to Davis. “Guarantee. Because I’m going to put my hands on you worse than that dude did them other kids at Penn State.”

Prior to the quip, Evans and Davis had been civil toward each other in talking about the fight. But Evans’ promise to knock out Davis prompted Davis to invoke the claim that Evans has no chin – a charge levied by his former training partner and nemesis, UFC light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones.

Then things got heated.

Davis, of course, was a star wrestler at Penn State and often has come to the school’s defense during the sex-abuse scandal that’s rocked the university to its core. Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested and jailed on Wednesday as new charges of sexual abuse were brought by a Pennsylvania grand jury. Sandusky is accused of molesting several boys during his time as a coach.

Several reports emerged that criticized Evans’ choice of words, and some questioned the UFC’s culpability in allowing the fighter to make such as statement as the promotion continues to expand its public presence. But White said those critics have an agenda.

“The thing is with me, people are looking at me, and I saw a couple of stupid stories that were written by people that want attention,” he said. “You know who those people are.”

White scoffed at official action against the fighter.

“What do you want me to do? You want me to have our lawyers draw something up, and I’ll come out and read it to you guys?” he said. “[Evans] said something stupid. It’s probably one of the dumbest things you can say.

“He gets it, and he knows it was a stupid thing to say. We’ll see what happens.”

ALBANY, N.Y. – MMAjunkie is on scene and reporting live from today’s UFC Fight Night 102 event at Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y., which kicks off at 5:45 p.m. ET (2:45 p.m. PT). You can discuss the event here.

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